Carena West’s swimsuits on the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week 2016.
Heads were turning for all the right reasons at the Carena West runway show.
I don’t want to say ‘normal girls’ walked the runway, because what’s a ‘normal girl’? I think the term I’m looking for is ‘real women’, or maybe just ‘women’. Perhaps I should simply say, non-stereotypical models took to the runway for Carena West, and yes, it turned heads.
It’s tough enough in the dead of winter to think about donning a swimsuit, let alone seeing a one or two-piece on body-shapes that don’t even come close to resembling your own, so seeing stunning swimsuits on various body shapes at Carena West’s NZFW show was, quite frankly, genius! Everything I saw on the runway, to me, was relatable, and that made Carena West’s swimsuits all that more enticing. Aside from the fact the swimwear was fabulous, I was able to picture myself in the very same swimwear coming down the runway… That girl has boobs! I have boobs! Wait, what? A swimsuit that was made for a girl with boobs larger than a B cup, (weirdly, that’s actually not that common) this is fantastic!
Carena West’s Modern Icon Resort 2016 collection celebrates the grace, fluidity and empowerment of the modern female icon. The combination of hand painted details with organic colours juxtaposed with unexpected textures represents an untold strength and femininity.
Swimsuits in dark sapphire blue and deep ruby hues, cute pastel pinks and pretty flower prints, gave a fabulous colour injection to a predominantly nude palette.
Beautiful bows, plunging backs on one-piece suits, high necklines and equally high-waisted pants, were just some of the standout features in Carena’s collection. Oh, and let’s not forget the ultimate head-turner – the burkini, a full body piece covered in dainty white flowers. Although with the fabulous high waisted pants, and bikini tops made for boobs, I may not have to resort to a Burkini after all.
It may have been one of the wettest, dreariest, winter days of fashion week, but by the end of the runway show, Carena had us yearning for summer, sand and her beautiful swimwear.
Check out our gallery to see every look from the Carena West NZFW 2016 show here.
By Angie Fredatovich from Gurlinterrupted
Images by James Yang Photography